Hygienic container

ABSTRACT

A hygienic container having a transport configuration and a service configuration. The hygienic container is made up of multiple individual parts ( 2,3,4,5,6,7 ) and the packing volume of the hygienic container in the transport configuration is less than or equal to 50% of the packing volume of the hygienic container in the service configuration.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments of the disclosure relate to a hygienic container being made up of multiple individual parts. The hygienic container may be hygienic dispenser or a hygienic receptacle such as a hand towel dispenser, a soap dispenser, a waste paper bin or a toilet paper dispenser. Embodiments of the disclosure also relate to a method of transferring a hand towel dispenser from the transport configuration to the service configuration.

BACKGROUND

Hygienic containers, particularly dispensers and waste paper bins for environments such as public restrooms, restaurant kitchens and the like are bulky appliances requiring large packing and transport space. Furthermore, high demands are put on such containers regarding sturdiness, durability and hygienic properties such as ease of cleaning, resistance to soiling, etc. The hygienic containers should preferably also be dust-proof and highly water-proof.

It is therefore an object of certain embodiments of the present disclosure to provide a hygienic container having the necessary hygienic and physical properties but requiring considerably less packing and transport space as compared to prior hygienic containers.

SUMMARY

In accordance with certain embodiments of the disclosure, there is provided a hygienic container which solves the problem of the conflicting needs for a sturdy, hygienic container and efficient and environmentally friendly packing and transport of the container.

A hygienic container according to an embodiment of the disclosure comprises multiple individual parts. The hygienic container has a transport configuration and a service configuration, wherein at least two of the multiple individual parts are arranged in a stacked configuration in the transport configuration. The packing volume of the hygienic container in the transport configuration is less than or equal to 45% of the packing volume of the hygienic container in the service configuration, such as less than or equal to 40% of the packing volume of the hygienic container in the service configuration, less than or equal to 35% of the packing volume of the hygienic container in the service configuration, or less than or equal to 30% of the packing volume of the hygienic container in the service configuration. At least one of the individual parts of the hygienic container is arranged with a main extension in a first plane when in the hygienic container is in the transport configuration and with the main extension in a second plane when the hygienic container is in the service configuration, the first and second planes being non-parallel planes.

The transport configuration is the configuration that the hygienic container is given at the manufacturing facility. In the transport configuration, the hygienic container may comprise parts that have been pre-connected by the manufacturer. The transport configuration is also the configuration that the hygienic container has when it leaves the manufacturer and up until it reaches an end consumer where it is transferred into the service configuration by performing additional assembly steps. In the transport configuration, at least two of the multiple parts are stacked on top of each other, implying that they are arranged in an at least partially overlapping configuration with a main surface of a first part aligned with and contacting a main surface of a second part. In this manner, not only the volume, but also the planar dimensions of the container can be minimized when the hygienic container is in the transport configuration.

It is generally desired that the hygienic container is as flat as possible in the transport configuration. This means that the container can be packaged in an outer packaging having larger extension in a plane than in a thickness direction perpendicular to the plane.

When the hygienic container is in the transport configuration it may comprise two or more parts that are pre-connected by hinge means. In this way, the pre-connected parts may be transferred from a generally flat, stacked configuration into a three-dimensional configuration by folding the parts away from each other at the hinge means.

The hygienic container may comprise a front part and a back part and the front part and the back part may have different widths and/or different lengths. A front part or a back part having a greater planar extension than the other parts of the hygienic container may serve as a tray or base plate onto which one or more part may be stacked when arranging the parts of the hygienic container in the transport configuration.

The hygienic container may comprise side parts that are connected to the back part when the hygienic container is in the service configuration. The back part may be adapted for mounting on a planar surface with the back part flush with the planar surface. The split-lines formed at the connections between the back part and the side parts may be arranged in the same plane as the back part. In this manner, the split-lines between the side parts and the back part will be concealed and shielded when the hygienic container is mounted on a planar surface such as a wall or other supporting structure. The concealed split-lines are thus protected from exposure to dust, water and mechanical impact. In addition, the split-lines constitute weakened portions of the assembled hygienic container. By arranging the split-lines towards the rear of the hygienic container, shock resistance and stability of the container may be considerably increased. The increased stability and shock resistance are results both of the split-lines being shielded from outer impact and of the wall or other supporting surface on which the hygienic container is mounted bridging the split-line and thus acting as a stabilizing and reinforcing support.

One of the front part and the back part of the hygienic container may constitute a cover part having a main surface and a periphery with a continuous or discontinuous rim at the periphery of the main surface. The main surface and the rim together delimit a protective space in the form of a shallow tray. At least one further part of the hygienic container, such as the other of the front part and the back part, a side part, a top part, a bottom part, a shelf part, etc. may be fully accommodated inside the periphery of the main surface of the cover part when the container is in the transport configuration. Depending on the shape and size of the hygienic container, the cover part may be sized and configured to fully, or substantially fully accommodate all further parts of the hygienic container inside the periphery of the main surface of the cover part when the hygienic container is in the transport configuration. The remaining parts of the hygienic container are placed on the main surface of the cover part in a stacked and/or side-by-side configuration as needed to fit the parts as well as possible within the perimeter of the cover part. It is generally desired that the hygienic container has a flat shape in the transport configuration with the thickness of the hygienic container in the transport configuration reduced to a minimum. It is also generally desired to keep the planar extension of the hygienic container in the transport configuration as small as possible and to substantially correspond to the planar extension of the largest part of the hygienic container, which typically is the part serving as a cover part in the transport configuration of the hygienic container.

For irregularly shaped hygienic containers or container parts or containers having a large number of parts it may not be possible to completely fit all the remaining parts inside the tray formed by the cover part and still achieve a flat transport configuration. In such instances, portions of one or more of the individual parts may protrude outside of the perimeter of the main surface of the cover part.

The main surface of the cover part may have generally rectangular shape with rounded corners and rounded edges between the main surface of the cover part and the rim. Further, the rim may be arranged at an angle to the main surface of more than 90°. The rim does not need to extend continuously along the whole perimeter of the main surface of the cover part. However, it may be advantageous if rim walls are arranged along at least two and preferably at least three of the sides of the cover part in order to prevent the parts placed on the cover part from sliding out past the edges of the main surface.

The at least one additional part that is placed inside the cover part when the hygienic container is in the transport configuration may be a back part adapted for mounting on a supporting surface, such as a wall. When transforming the hygienic container from the transport configuration into the service configuration, the back part may be mounted on the supporting surface before the parts of the hygienic container are fully brought into the service configuration.

In order to facilitate quick and simple transformation of the hygienic container from the transport configuration to the service configuration, the hygienic container may consist of at most four unconnected parts in the transport configuration. As the hygienic containers of embodiments of the disclosure may be only partially assembled in an industrial process, the final assembly steps have to be performed manually in connection with mounting of the hygienic container in the service environment. Accordingly, it is desired that the final assembly can be carried out with few and simple operations and without the use of tools.

There are several reasons for wishing to reduce the size of the hygienic container and to minimize the number of assembly steps performed at the production site. Such reasons may include environmental concerns and cost reduction for transport and storage as well as cost reduction in the manufacturing process resulting from fewer assembly steps that need to be performed at the production stage.

As some of the assembly steps are to be carried out by a user, fasteners and fastening methods are preferably easy to understand and use. It is also a concern that each part is accurately positioned and aligned in a logical and instructive manner when the hygienic container is in the transport configuration. An appropriate transport configuration allows the person assembling the container to immediately recognize the parts, to understand how the parts relate to each other and understand how to put together the hygienic container. More complicated parts may be built as sub-assemblies during production in order to ensure accuracy and facilitate the final assembly by a user. The number of parts in the hygienic container is preferably as small as possible in order to minimize the number of joining operations that have to be performed. Preferably, a non-trained person should be able to assemble the hygienic container in less than 10 minutes. A trained person may be able to assemble the hygienic container even quicker, such as in one minute, or less.

It is not only a concern that the hygienic container be intuitively arranged when it is in the transport configuration so that it may be readily and quickly assembled, but also the function of the assembled hygienic container needs consideration. Accordingly, the construction and appearance of the hygienic container is preferably as uncomplicated as possible with simple shape that is easy to understand and provides a low-maintenance container. The function of the hygienic containers should be intuitive with a shape that may indicate the content of the container.

The assembled hygienic containers preferably meet the normal requirements for such containers which may be that they are robust and have the ability of functioning over time (durability). Other requirements may be that of ease to refill dispensers or to change a filled liner in a waste paper bin, “one at a time” dispensing of paper products, that a product is always available to the end user, hygiene, a functional and aesthetic visual design, etc.

With regard to robustness, a simple test is whether the hygienic container can withstand a punch from an average male without being damaged or broken. Both shock resistance and shape stability can be considerably improved by arranging split-lines between the parts of the hygienic containers of embodiments of the disclosure in a rear surface that will be mounted against a wall or other supporting surface.

The hygienic container preferably has a smooth outer surface with rounded corners and edges when in the service configuration. In addition, split-lines appearing at the joins between assembled parts of the hygienic container may be off-set from the edges of the hygienic container. By arranging overlapping portions or flanges on the different parts of the hygienic container, the joins between the individual parts of the hygienic container are rendered dust-proof and resistant to liquid penetration. By placing the joins between the different container parts offset from the edges of the assembled containers, the split-lines between the parts are less exposed to dirtying. In addition, the overlapping parts at the joins in the hygienic containers make the assembled containers stronger and more resistant to impact and wear. A smooth outer surface and liquid tight joins between the parts facilitate efficient cleaning of the hygienic containers when mounted on a supporting surface such as a bathroom wall. Rounded corners and edges reduce the risk of a user getting hurt when inadvertently bumping into the hygienic container in a tight space, such as a small restroom.

At least one part of the container is preferably made of plastic material. However, the individual parts may be made of any suitable material or combination of materials as known in the art, such as cardboard, metal, wood, glass and plastic. Plastic materials are advantageous in that they are light-weight and may be formed into virtually any desired shape using conventional methods such as casting, injection molding and blow molding. By means of injection molding it is possible to form parts made from two or more different components, such as construction parts having integrally formed hinges. Accordingly, plastic parts can readily be given intricate shapes with smooth rounded edges and corners and with integrally formed sub-elements such as reinforcing ribs, locking elements, etc. Suitable plastic materials may be ABS-plastics, polycarbonates, polypropylenes, HIPS (High Impact PolyStyrene), or polyethylenes. When compared to metals such as aluminum or steel, plastic parts are easier to shape and are light-weight which is advantageous for transport purposes. Plastic materials may also be appreciated for being low-cost and readily available materials. However, in some instances it may be desired to make one or more parts of the hygienic container fully or partly from a more exclusive material or a material with higher strength such as wood, metal or glass.

The hygienic container according to embodiments of the disclosure may be a dispenser for dispensing of wipes, such as dispensing of hand towels from a stack.

The wipe dispenser may comprise a back part, a front part, a first side part, a second side part, a top part and a shelf part with a dispensing opening.

The front part of the wipe dispenser may constitute an open container for the back part, side parts, top part and shelf part, when the hand towel dispenser is in the transport configuration. One or more of the side parts, the top part and the shelf part may be hingedly attached to the back part. The back part, side parts top part and shelf part may be stacked together into a compact self-supporting package with the back part serving as a supporting base plate for the top part, the shelf part and the side parts. The side parts may be hingedly attached to the back part and be folded in over the back part as a protective cover for the top and shelf parts when the wipe dispenser is in the transport configuration. The top and shelf parts may be free from connections to other parts when the wipe dispenser is in the transport configuration.

The top and shelf parts of the wipe dispenser may be arranged side-by-side beneath the folded-in side parts with the top part tucked beneath one of the side parts and the shelf part tucked beneath the other of the side parts and wherein one of the side parts comprises a locking device with an engagement element and the shelf part is tucked beneath the side part bearing the locking device with the engagement element of the locking device resting in the dispensing opening on the shelf part.

Reinforcing ribs may be arranged extending along inner side edges of the side parts of the wipe dispenser, the reinforcing ribs acting as guide means for a stack of wipes placed inside the wipe dispenser when the wipe dispenser is in the service configuration.

Alternatively, or in addition to the guiding ribs on the side parts, guiding ribs for a stack of wipes may be arranged on the back part.

The wipe dispenser may have split-lines between the back part and the side walls, the split-lines being arranged in the same plane as the back part.

The split-lines in the wipe dispenser between the side parts and the top part may be arranged in the same plane as the top part. Further, the side parts and the top part of the wipe dispenser may have overlapping flanges at the split-lines in order to make the upper wall of the wipe dispenser dust proof and increase stability of the wipe dispenser. Overlapping flanges at the split-lines in a hygienic container according to embodiments of the disclosure, such as a wipe dispenser, are also beneficial as the flanges reduce the risk of liquid such as water running into the container through the split-lines. This is a particular advantage in wet environments such as bathrooms and kitchens.

The hygienic container according to embodiments of the disclosure may be a dispenser for a liquid sanitizer such as soap, or may be a paper roll dispenser, such as a toilet paper dispenser, or may be a waste paper bin.

The hygienic containers of embodiments of the disclosure can be quickly and easily assembled and mounted on a supporting surface such as a wall. Preferably, a hygienic container of embodiments of the disclosure may be assembled by a non-trained user in less than 10 minutes. In addition, the hygienic containers of embodiments of the disclosure meet high standards with regard to qualities such as robustness, functionality and esthetics. The flat stacked packing configuration offered by the hygienic containers of embodiments of the disclosure makes it possible to achieve a considerable reduction in shipping volume with entailing environmental benefits and a corresponding lowering of costs for transport and storage.

The parts of a hygienic dispenser in accordance with embodiments of the disclosure may be divided into four different groups. A dispenser part may belong to more than one group, such as a separate or foldable part that is also a stackable part and/or a flexible part:

-   -   1) Separate parts—Separate parts are assembled by the end         customer. The parts may be fastened using integrated snap         joints, separate fasteners or slide fastening systems. The use         of separate parts allows the container material to be freely         selected for each individual part and offers great flexibility         in the design of the container. The drawbacks are that the final         assembly may be rendered more difficult, time-consuming and less         intuitive than desired and that the assembled container will         have multiple visible split lines. However, the problem with         multiple split lines may be alleviated by the use of different         materials and colors. If separate fasteners are used, they can         be employed as design features.     -   2) Foldable parts—Foldable parts are manipulated by a user to         form the hygienic container into the end use configuration, i.e.         the service configuration. The foldable parts may be joined by         different types of hinges such as live hinges, integrated         hinges, separate hinges, soft hinges or telescopic solutions. By         using foldable parts, the final assembly may usually be made         easier and more intuitive and the assembly time may be reduced.         A slight drawback is that some care may have to be taken in         placing the fold-lines in inconspicuous locations on the         hygienic container and in designing and placing the hinges so         that the function of the hygienic container remains unaffected         or at least that a negative effect of the hinges on the function         is minimized.     -   3) Flexible parts—Flexible materials may be used for parts that         allow bending or collapsing. By way of example, relatively stiff         sheet materials having sufficient flexibility to allow manual         bending may be used to create rounded shapes in the finally         assembled hygienic container. Collapsible parts may be made of         very flexible materials such as fabrics, rubber or leather. A         drawback with such materials may be that they do not contribute         to the stability and robustness of the hygienic container.     -   4) Stackable parts—Stackable parts are parts that may be         arranged with their major surfaces parallel or at least         substantially parallel to each other in an overlapping         configuration. Two or more parts may be stacked together and the         stacked parts may be completely or partially overlapping in the         stacked configuration of the parts. Stackable parts may be         placed inside each other with a larger part containing one or         more smaller parts. Hence, a larger part may have an open         container shape delimiting a three-dimensional space in which         one or more smaller part may be completely or partially         accommodated.

Different kinds of fasteners may be used to connect the parts of the hygienic containers of embodiments of the disclosure. Suitable fasteners may be screws, pins, snap joints, slide fasteners, puzzle joins, magnets, and dowels. The fasteners may be combined in any suitable fashion.

In order to be able to refill or empty a hygienic container according to embodiments of the disclosure, the container can preferably be opened and reclosed when in the service configuration. For this purpose, the hygienic container may be provided with a hinged door, a sliding door, a rollup door, a rotating door, a drawer, or similar. Doors having pivot hinges are commonly used in the art. However, live hinges formed in a bendable material such as plastic may be a simple and cost efficient option although durability and aesthetic properties may be somewhat reduced.

The hygienic container of embodiments of the disclosure may be adapted to allow mounting of further internal or external components and may comprise fastening elements and/or holders for such components. The components may be mechanical or electronic equipment such as feed mechanisms, sensors, etc.

When the hygienic container according to embodiments of the disclosure reaches an end consumer, it has to be transferred from the transport configuration into the service configuration by performing some additional assembly steps. For a hand towel dispenser according to embodiments of the disclosure such final assembly steps may comprise:

-   -   arranging the hand towel dispenser when in said transport         configuration with the front part facing away from an assembler         and the side parts facing towards the assembler and with the         upper edge of the front part directed away from the assembler         and the lower edge of the front part directed towards the         assembler;     -   lifting the self-supporting package out of the front part while         maintaining the orientation of the self-supporting package with         respect to the assembler;     -   arranging the side parts in a raised position along the side         edges of the back part;     -   arranging the top part in a fixed position along the upper edges         of the side parts and the back part and arranging the shelf part         in a fixed position between the raised side parts in a lower end         thereof; and     -   connecting the front part to a side part, a top part or a shelf         part by means of at least one hinge.

The side parts and/or one or both of the top part and the shelf part may be hingedly connected to the back part. When the side parts are hingedly connected to the back part, raising of the side parts involves folding them up from the back part until they reach a folded-up position. Preferably, the folded-up position is predetermined such that the assembler is alerted for instance by a stop when the parts have reached the correct position. The same considerations apply when the top and shelf parts are hingedly attached to the back part and/or to a side part.

The top part may be attached along the upper edges of the side parts and the back part and the shelf part may be attached to the side parts and the back part in a lower end thereof.

In order to ascertain that folded up parts stay in the correct folded-up position, movement restricting means may be provided to prevent the folded up side parts from moving further apart. The movement restricting means may be abutting edges on the side parts and the back part, stop knobs, snap-locks, etc. or any combination of such movement restricting means. Movement restricting means may also be provided to prevent the raised side parts from falling back in over the back part. By way of example, the inner edges of the side parts may be provided with a raised rim which is brought into abutting contact with the side edges of the back part when the side parts are raised to the folded-up position. The rim acts as a movement restricting means and when the side parts are in the raised position, the rim lies flush with the back part and forms a peripheral portion of a back wall of the hand towel dispenser. In this manner, the joins between the back part and the side parts are positioned at the back of the hand towel dispenser and will be completely concealed when the hand towel dispenser is mounted on a wall or other supporting surface. In the raised position, the side parts are preferably positioned at an angle α of more than 90° to the plane of the back part such that the side parts lean slightly outward from the back part.

The attachment of the top part to the back part and the side parts may be made by means of a combination of coupling means in the form of slide fittings and snap locks. The slide fittings may be formed by reinforcing ribs on the top part and corresponding notches in the upper edge of the back part into which notches the reinforcing ribs are slid. The snap locks may be formed by female parts on the top part and male parts on the side parts, or vice versa. The top part may have an inner flange along the back edge of the top part. When attaching the top part to the side parts and the back part, the inner flange is first placed over the upper edge of the back part with the reinforcing ribs on the top part fitted into the notches in the upper edge of the back part. The fitting of the reinforcing ribs into the notches is easiest done while holding the top part at a downward angle between the side parts. After the connection between the back part and the top part has been made, the top part is pushed upwards until male parts of the snap locks located at each side of the top part snap into locking engagement with female parts of the snap locks.

The shelf part may be attached to the side parts and the back part in a manner similar to that of the top part. The shelf part and the top part may be attached in any order as found suitable. The shelf part may first be connected to the back part by inserting two fastening tongues protruding from the back edge of the shelf part into two corresponding slots positioned in the wall of the back part above the lower edge of the back part. The back part may have a concavely curved lower edge matching the shape of a corresponding concavely curved lower edge on the front part and the shelf part may be attached directly above the curved lower edge of the back part. When attaching the shelf part, it is first tilted upwards and is then pushed down to bring snap locks placed at either side of the shelf part into locking engagement, thus connecting the shelf part with the side parts.

The final assembly step is to attach the front part to form a front door on the hand towel dispenser. This assembly step may be performed either before or after mounting of the hand towel dispenser on a supporting surface. The front part may be hung on one of the side parts by means of hinges so that the front door of the dispenser may be swung open or shut. The hinges may be of the type comprising a female part and a male part. The male part may be in the form of a hook-shaped arm that is attached on the inside of the front part and has a downwardly protruding peg placed at the outer end of the hook-shaped arm. When using this type of hinge, it may be suitable to provide the dispenser with at least two hinges, such as three hinges or more. As disclosed herein, the hinges may be of any suitable type as known to the person skilled in the art. Moreover, the hinges for the front part may alternatively be placed at the outer edge of the top part.

As used herein, the packing volume of a hygienic container is the volume of the smallest rectangular parallelepiped into which the hygienic container can be fitted. The packing volume of a hygienic container of embodiments of the disclosure when in the transport configuration may be equal to or less than 50% of the packing volume of the same hygienic container in the service configuration, such as less than 40% of the packing volume of the service configuration, less than 35% of the packing volume of the service configuration or less than 30% of the packing volume of the service configuration.

A hygienic container as used herein is a container intended for use in environments where hygienic aspects are in focus. Such environments include environments which are themselves kept clean such as kitchens, bathrooms, hospitals etc. as well as dirty environments such as workshops, industry, etc. where it is particularly important that the contents of the hygienic container is protected from contamination from the environment. Furthermore, all hygienic containers of embodiments of the disclosure may have an operational outlet and/or inlet when in the service configuration. Accordingly, the hygienic containers may be either dispensers for wiping material, soap, cleaning liquids, etc. or receptacles such as waste bins.

A hand towel dispenser is a dispenser for sheets of wiping material intended for wiping of hands. The hand towels are usually in the form of discrete sheets of wiping material that are folded, at least once in a longitudinal direction in order to diminish the surface area of the hand towel and to create a flap portion that may be gripped when removing the hand towel from a dispenser. Hand towels commonly have a folded length of 200-250 mm, most common of 215 mm and a folded width of 60-120 mm, most common 85 mm in order to fit in standardized dispensers.

A toilet paper dispenser is commonly a roll dispenser built to accommodate at least one roll of toilet paper. The rolled toilet paper is usually low wet-strength tissue paper with or without perforations and is usually dispensed radially from the roll, although centre-feed rolls of toilet paper are known in the art. Other types of toilet paper dispenser may include dispensers for stacked sheets of wiping material.

The wiping material used in the hygienic dispensers according to embodiments of the disclosure may be any kind of wet or dry wipe such as household paper, napkins, disposable handkerchiefs, facial tissue, industrial wipes, toilet paper, etc. The material may be a fibrous material of any suitable kind such as cellulose based paper material, with or without admixture of man-made fibres, binders and fillers. The wipes may comprise only man-made fibres. However, it is usually desired that a wipe has some degree of absorbency or that it at least is wettable. If the fibrous material contains a large proportion of fibres of a hydrophobic character implying that the fibres are non-wettable by aqueous fluids, it may be suitable for wiping oily or greasy surfaces. A hydrophobic material may be treated with a wetting agent in order to make it more hydrophilic. The wipes may have any suitable shape and/or size and may be embossed, perforated, printed and dyed if desired. The wipes may be single-ply sheets of material or may comprise two or more plies of the same or different materials. The wipes may contain additives such as lotions, perfumes, detergents, liquids, etc. as known in the art. Furthermore, the wipes may be in the form of a stack or a roll and may be discrete sheets of wiping material or a continuous web from which individual wipes may be separated. Discrete sheets of wiping material may be interlinked to form a continuous chain of wipes being held together by frictional forces. Such interlinked sheets are available in roll form or as a stack of interfolded sheets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the disclosure will be described in greater detail below with reference to the figures shown in the appended drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of a hand towel dispenser according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 2 shows the hand towel dispenser in FIG. 1 in a transport configuration and in a service configuration;

FIGS. 3-8 show the hand towel dispenser of FIGS. 1 and 2 during assembly and conversion to a service configuration;

FIG. 9 shows a waste paper bin according to an embodiment of the disclosure in a transport configuration;

FIG. 10 shows an exploded view of the waste paper bin of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 shows the waste paper bin of FIGS. 9 and 10 in a nearly fully assembled service configuration;

FIG. 12 shows a soap dispenser according to an embodiment of the disclosure in a transport configuration and in a service configuration;

FIG. 13 shows the soap dispenser of FIG. 12 in a fully assembled service configuration with an opened front;

FIG. 14 shows a toilet paper dispenser according to an embodiment of the disclosure in a transport configuration and in a service configuration; and

FIG. 15 shows the toilet paper dispenser of FIG. 14 in a fully assembled service configuration with an opened front.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The hygienic containers that are described below have features that are referred to as being “upper”, “lower”, “left”, “right”, “inside”, outside”, etc. All such designations refer to a fully assembled and operational container and are based on how the container is seen by a user of the container. In the figures, the Y-direction is the height direction or vertical direction of the container, the X-direction is the width-direction or horizontal direction of the container and the Z-direction is the depth-direction of the container.

Hand Towel Dispenser, Parts

The hand towel dispenser 1 that is shown in FIGS. 1-8 comprises six individual parts making up the walls of the dispenser: a back part 2, a front part 3, a left side part 4, a right side part 5, a top part 6 and a shelf part 7. The front part 3 is provided with a transparent inspection window 8, which is an optional feature of the hand towel dispenser of embodiments of the disclosure. The inspection window 8 allows determination of the amount of hand towels that are present inside an assembled dispenser 1 without opening the dispenser. The inspection window 8 may be formed integrally with the front part 3 or may be designed as a separate part of transparent material that is attached in an opening in the front part 3.

It is to be understood that although the dispenser in FIGS. 1-8 is described as being a hand towel dispenser, it can be used for any type of wipes that are dispensed from a rectangular stack by adapting the size of the dispenser to the size of the stack of wipes.

The individual parts may be made of any suitable material or combination of materials as known in the art, such as cardboard, corrugated paper board, metal, wood, glass and plastic. In many applications plastic parts would be preferred due to the relative ease with which plastic materials may be formed into a desired shape by conventional methods such as casting or injection moulding. Suitable plastic materials may be ABS-plastics, polycarbonates, polypropylenes, HIPS (High Impact Poly Styrene), or polyethylenes. When compared to metals such as aluminum or steel, plastic parts are low-weight which is an advantage for transport purposes. Plastic materials may also be appreciated for being generally low-cost and readily available materials.

As is best shown in FIG. 1, the back part 2 of the hand towel dispenser 1 has generally flat rectangular shape with an upper edge 9, a lower edge 10 and two side edges 12. The lower edge 10 which has inwardly curved shape will be placed at the dispensing opening of the hand towel dispenser 1 when the hand towel dispenser 1 is fully assembled. The back part 2 is provided with fixtures 13 for mounting of the dispenser on a surface such as a wall. The back part 2 may be made of a relatively thin plastic material having a sheet thickness of only a few mm, such as 1.5-4 mm. Reinforcement and increased stiffness of the sheet material may be provided by means of a grid of raised ribs and ridges preferably arranged on the back or outer surface of the back part 2. When including the reinforcing ribs, the apparent thickness of the back part may be 6-8 mm.

The side parts 4,5 consist of a left side part 4 and a right side part 5 as seen in FIG. 1. Each side part 4,5 has elongate generally rectangular shape with slightly curved upper and lower edges 14, 15 and straight inner and outer side edges 16, 17. The inner side edges 16 are matched to the side edges 12 of the back part 2 and the outer side edges 17 are matched to the side edges 20,21 of the front part 3 implying that the upper and lower edges 14,15 extend at an angle of more than 90° from the inner side edges 20 towards the outer side edges 17. A continuous inwardly directed rim 40 is arranged at the upper and lower edges 14, 15 and the inner side edges 16 of the side parts 4,5.

The front part 3 has generally rectangular planar shape but is larger in the X-Y plane than the back part 2, so that the back part 2 can be completely accommodated inside the periphery of the front part 3. When resting on its front or outer surface 18, the front part 3 has the form of a shallow tray with low side walls 19 forming a raised rim along the side edges 20, 21 and the upper edge 22 of the front part 3. The lower edge 23 of the front part 3 is inwardly curved and has a shape matching the inward curve of the lower edge 10 on the back part 2. The inward curve at the lower edge 23 of the front part 3 is arranged to facilitate access to the hand towels that are contained in the hand towel dispenser 1 when it is assembled and mounted on a wall or other supporting surface.

The top part 6 has a back edge 24 of the same length as the upper edge 9 of the back part 2 and a front edge 25 of the same length as the upper edge 22 of the front part 3. Accordingly, the front edge 25 of the top part 6 is slightly longer than the back edge 24 of the top part 6, implying that the side edges 26, 27 of the top part 6 extend from the back edge 24 of the top part 6 towards the front edge 25 of the top part 6 at an angle of more than 90°, such as at an angle of 95° to 125° to the back edge 24.

The top part 6 is provided with intersecting reinforcing ribs 28 forming a grid on the side of the top part 6 that will be facing inwardly in the assembled hand towel dispenser 1. Such reinforcing elements may be formed integrally with the rest of the top part in a casting or molding process or may be formed separately and be subsequently attached to the top part by gluing, welding, riveting, etc. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-8, the reinforcing ribs 28 have the additional function of being part of a coupling means for connecting the top part 6 to the back part 2 when assembling the hand towel dispenser 1. Further coupling means in the form openings forming the female parts 29′ of top snap-lock fasteners 29 are arranged at each side edge 26, 27 of the top part 6 for co-operation with corresponding male parts 29″ of the top snap-lock fasteners 29 that are arranged at the upper ends 14 of the side parts 4,5.

The shelf part 7 has straight back and front edges 31, 32 of the same length as the back and front edges 24, 25 of the top part 6. This means that the side edges 33, 34 of the shelf part 7 are angled in the same manner as the side edges 26, 27 of the top part 6. Coupling means in the form openings forming the female parts 35′ of shelf snap-lock fasteners 35 are arranged at each side edge 33, 34 of the shelf part 7 for co-operation with corresponding male parts 35″ of the shelf snap-lock fasteners 35 that are arranged at the inside of the side parts 4,5, at a distance from the lower ends 15 of the side parts such that the shelf part 7 will be mounted just above the inwardly curved lower edges 10, 23 of the back part 2 and the front part 3 when the hand towel dispenser 1 has been assembled.

An elongated, generally oval dispensing opening 36 is arranged in the shelf part 7, to allow hand towels resting on the shelf part 7 to be removed through the dispensing opening 36. The shape of the dispensing opening is not an essential feature of embodiments of the disclosure, meaning that other shapes than that which is shown in FIG. 1 may be used, such as perfectly oval, rectangular, circular, etc. as well as wave-shaped openings, star-shaped openings or openings having modified versions of simple geometrical shapes. It is also possible to use dispensing funnels or spouts. However, it is generally preferred that the 30 dispensing opening has an elongate shape with a greater dimension in the X-direction than in the Z-direction as shown in FIG. 1.

The hand towel dispenser 1 has a transport configuration in which the individual parts 2-7 are packed together in a highly compact form as shown in FIG. 2. In the transport configuration, the left and right side parts 4, 5 are already attached or connected to the back part 2 by means of hinges 37. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-8 the hinges 37 have female parts 37′ that are arranged along the side edges 12 of the back part 2 and are in engagement with corresponding male parts 37″ of the hinges 37 that are arranged along the inner side edges 16 of the side parts 4,5. This particular hinge construction should not be considered limiting to embodiments of the disclosure. Accordingly, hinges that are integrally formed connections between the side and back parts 4, 5, 2, such as flexible transition areas between the side and back parts may be employed as well as hinges that have been produced separately from the side and back parts and have been subsequently attached by welding, gluing, riveting, screwing, etc. The transport configuration of the hand towel dispenser 1 is best seen in FIG. 2 where the hand towel dispenser 1 is shown with the back, side, top and shelf parts 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7 stacked together and stowed into the front part 3. The transport configuration is the form the hand towel dispenser 1 has when it leaves the manufacturer and up until it reaches an end user who transforms it into a fully assembled service configuration with all parts of the hand towel dispenser 1 connected to each other and forming a functional dispenser.

The relationship between the transport configuration and the service configuration is such that the thickness of the hand towel dispenser 1 in the transport configuration is less than or equal to half the thickness of the hand towel dispenser 1 in the service configuration.

Hand Towel Dispenser, Assembly

FIGS. 2-8 show a sequence of operations through which the hand towel dispenser 1 can be converted from the transport configuration into the service configuration.

In the transport configuration shown in FIG. 2, the front part 3 is used as a protective tray or open container for the remaining parts which are stacked together into a compact self-supporting package 11 with the back part 2 as a supporting base plate for the top and shelf parts 6,7 and the hingedly attached side parts 4,5 folded in as a cover over the top and shelf parts 6,7. Accordingly, in the transport configuration the hand towel dispenser 1 forms a four-layer package with the order of the layers being as seen in FIG. 2. Accordingly, from the bottom to the top in FIG. 2, the front part 3 is at the bottom, the back part 2 is placed on top of the front part, the top and shelf parts 6,7 are placed on top of the back part and the side parts 4,5 are uppermost.

The ratio between the thickness t_(t) of the stacked parts in the transport configuration as shown in FIG. 2 and the thickness t_(s) of the fully assembled hand towel dispenser 1 in the service configuration is less than or equal to 1:2, such as less than or equal to 1:2.5 or less than or equal to 1:3, the thickness, t_(t,s) being measured as shown in FIG. 2. The packing volume of the hand towel dispenser 1 in the transport configuration is less than or equal to the packing volume of the container in the service configuration, such as less than or equal to 40% of the packing volume of the container in the service configuration less than or equal to 35% of the packing volume of the container in the service configuration, or less than or equal to 30% of the packing volume of the container in the service configuration.

In order to make the self-supporting package 11 as compact as possible, the top and shelf parts 6,7 are arranged side-by-side beneath the folded-in side parts 4,5 with the top part 6 tucked beneath the left side part 4 and the shelf part 7 tucked beneath the right side part 5. In FIGS. 1-8, the right side part 5 of the hand towel dispenser is shown having a locking device 55 with a hooking element 56 on the inside of the right side part 5. In the transport configuration, the parts of the hand towel dispenser 1 are arranged with the hooking element 56 of the locking device 55 resting in the dispensing opening 36 on the shelf part 7. By placing the top and shelf parts 6,7 beneath the side parts 4,5, the user is prompted to unfold the side parts 4,5 in order to access the top and shelf parts 6,7 without the need for explicit instructions to do so. The sequence of the three main assembly steps to be performed by a user are: folding up of the side parts 4,5, attaching the top part 6 and the shelf part 7, installing the front part 3 (the door). The specific arrangement of the parts 2-7 in the transport configuration of the hand towel dispenser 1 renders the assembly fool-proof, preventing parts from being assembled in the wrong order.

The first step in the assembly process is to lift the self-supporting package 11 out of the front part 3 as shown in FIG. 3. Thereafter, the side parts 4,5 are folded out from the back part 2 at the hinges 37 as shown in FIG. 4 until they are brought into a raised position as shown in FIG. 5. In the raised position, the side parts 4,5 are positioned at an angle α of more than 90° to the plane of the back part 2 and are prevented from moving further apart by movement restricting means such as abutting edges on the side parts 4,5 and the back part 2. The side parts 4,5 may also be prevented from falling back in over the back part 2 and the top and shelf parts 6,7 by locking means such as snap lock means. When the side parts 4,5 are in the raised position, the rim 40 along the inner edges 16 of the side parts 4,5 is flush with the back part 2 and forms a peripheral portion of the back wall of the hand towel dispenser 1. In this manner, the joins 41 between the back part 2 and the side parts 4,5 are positioned at the back of the hand towel dispenser 1 and will be completely concealed when the hand towel dispenser 1 is mounted on a wall or other supporting surface. This is an advantage not only for esthetical reasons, but also from a hygienic point of view. Hand towel dispensers are usually mounted on the walls in places where hygienic considerations are important such as in rest rooms, particularly in public restrooms, restaurants, etc. where they may be exposed to water splashes and dirt. With the joins of the hand towel dispenser 1 disposed at the back of the dispenser, there is no risk of dirt accumulating in the joins or of water running in through the joins and wetting the hand towels contained therein.

After the side parts 4,5 have been raised, the top part 6 is fitted between the side parts 4,5, as shown in FIG. 6. The attachment of the top part 6 to the back part 2 and the side parts 4,5 is made by means of a combination of coupling means in the form of slide fittings and snap locks. The slide fittings are formed by the reinforcing ribs 28 on the top part 6 and corresponding notches 44 in the upper edge 9 of the back part 2 into which the reinforcing ribs 28 are slid. The snap locks 29 are formed by female parts 29′ on the top part 6 and male parts 29″ on the side parts 4,5. The top part 6 has an inner flange 46 along the back edge 24 of the top part 6. The inner flange 46 is first placed over the upper edge 9 of the back part 2 with the reinforcing ribs 28 on the top part 6 fitted into the notches 44 in the upper edge 9 of the back part 2. At this stage of the assembly procedure, the top part 6 is held at a downward angle between the side parts 4,5 and is subsequently pushed upwards until the downwardly projecting male parts 29″ of the snap locks 29 snap into locking engagement with openings in the top part 6 constituting the female parts 29′ of the snap locks 29.

The shelf part 7 is attached in a manner similar to that of the top part 6. The shelf part 7 and the top part 6 may be attached in any order as found suitable. The shelf part 7 is first connected to the back part 2 by inserting two fastening tongues 47 protruding from the back edge 31 of the shelf part 7 into two corresponding slots 48 positioned in the wall of the back part 2 slightly above the curved lower edge 10 of the back part 2. The shelf part 7 is held tilted somewhat upwards and is then pushed down until the upwardly projecting male parts 35″ of the snap locks 35 snap into locking engagement with the openings in the shelf part 7 constituting the female parts 35′ of the snap locks 35.

The final assembly step is to attach the front part 3 to form a front door on the hand towel dispenser 1. This assembly step may be performed either before or after mounting of the hand towel dispenser 1 on a supporting surface. In the shown embodiment, the front part 3 is hung on the left side part 4 by means of hinges 49. Each hinge comprises a female part 49′ formed by a circular hole 52 placed near the outer side edge 17 of the left side part 4 in a reinforcing rib 50 on the inner surface of the left side part 4, and a male part 49″. The male part 49″ is in the form of a hook-shaped arm 53 that is attached on the inside of the front part 3 at the left side edge 21 and has a downwardly protruding peg 54 placed at the outer end of the hook-shaped arm 53. Although the hand towel dispenser 1 is shown with three hinges 49 it is to be understood that the number of hinges can be fewer or more than three, if desired. Moreover, it should be understood that the hinges for the front part 3 could equally well be placed at the outer edge 17 of the right side part 5 or even at the outer edge of the top part 6, if desired. If placed at the top part 6, the hinge construction in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-8 having one open end may be less suitable, as there is a risk that the front part 3 falls off the hinges as the top part is opened and closed. Hence the hinges should be made in a manner allowing the front part 3 to be securely held in hinged connection with the top part 6 throughout use of the hand towel dispenser 1. This could be accomplished by providing the hinges with locking means, such as snap lock elements or by choosing a different type of hinge than that shown in the Figs. Such alternative hinges, for instance snap-in hinges, may also be used when the front part 3 is hingedly connected to the side parts 4,5. Alternatives to the hinges 49 described in connection with FIGS. 1-8 are well known to the person skilled in the art and will not be further discussed herein.

A wipe dispenser according to embodiments of the disclosure may have a reverse configuration, with the back part being larger than the front part so that the front part may be stowed in the back part when the dispenser is in the transport configuration. In such configurations, the top part edges will extend in the reverse manner with an angle of more than 90° from the front edge of the top part to the back edge of the front part implying that the assembled wipe dispenser will have a shape with a wider back than front.

Furthermore, instead of having only the front part constituting an openable door on the dispenser, it is possible to make the whole front of the dispenser, including the side parts, top and shelf parts hingedly connected to the back part such that the dispenser can be opened by swinging the whole front away from the back part.

A reinforcing rib 51 is arranged near the back part 2 on the inside of each of the side parts 4,5. The reinforcing ribs 51 extend in the Y-direction and have the additional function of being guide means for a stack of hand towels placed inside the fully assembled hand towel dispenser by preventing X-direction movement of the stack of hand towels.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-8, the hand towel dispenser 1 is provided with a lock comprising a locking device 55 arranged on the right side part 5 and comprising a hooking element 56 that can be rotated into engagement with a receiving loop on the front part 3 by means of a key 58. The locking device 55 is not an essential feature of embodiments of the disclosure but the possibility of being able to lock the dispenser may be desired in particular when the hand towel dispenser 1 is intended for public use. At least in dispensers having the front part 3 hung on one of the side parts 4, 5, some kind of closure means is generally required in order to keep the front part/door 3 from unintentionally swinging open and exposing the hand towels located inside. Such closure means can be any type of suitable closure means such as latches, snap-locks, etc.

The hand towel dispenser 1 is intended for use with folded hand towels arranged in a rectangular stack inside the dispenser. The folded hand towels usually have a length parallel to the fold or folds of 200-250 mm, most common of 215 mm and a folded width of 60-120 mm, most common 85 mm. When loaded into the hand towel dispenser 1, a stack of hand towels is placed on the shelf part 6 with the length direction of the stack parallel to the back part 2 and the width direction of the stack generally parallel with the side parts 4,5 of the hand towel dispenser 1. Usually the hand towels are folded at least twice along fold lines in the length direction such that two opposing edge portions of each towel are folded in over a central part of the towel and form grippable flaps on at least one side of the hand towel. In the stack, all hand towels are arranged with a side having at least one grippable flap facing the shelf part 7. In this manner the hand towels may be removed from the hand towel dispenser by gripping a flap and pulling out the hand towel through the dispensing opening 36 in the shelf part 7.

Waste Paper Bin

The waste paper bin 101 that is shown in FIGS. 9-11 consists of seven individual parts: a back part 102, a front part 103, a left side part 104, a right side part 105, a top part 106, a bottom part 107 and a bag support wire 108.

The individual parts may be made of the same type of materials as those suitable for the hand towel dispenser 1 as disclosed herein. The bag support wire 108 is preferably a metal wire while plastic materials may be preferred for the remaining parts of the waste paper bin 101. The parts making up the bin itself may be made of a relatively thin plastic material having a sheet thickness of only a few mm, such as 1.5-4 mm. Reinforcement and increased stiffness of the sheet material may be provided by means of raised ribs and ridges preferably arranged so that they are concealed from a viewer when the bin is assembled and put to service. Accordingly, such reinforcing ribs and ridges may be placed on the outer surface of the back part of the bin and on the inner surface of those parts that are visible when the waste paper bin is mounted on a supporting surface. In FIGS. 10 and 11 only the bottom part 107 of the waste paper bin 101 is shown with reinforcing ribs 128. However, it is to be understood that such reinforcing ribs may be arranged in all parts of the waste paper bin. Furthermore, reinforcing ridges are preferably arranged around fixture openings in the bin parts.

With reference to FIG. 10, the back part 102 of the waste paper bin 101 has generally flat rectangular shape with an upper edge 109, a lower edge 110 and two side edges 111, 112. The lower edge 110 will be placed at the bottom of the waste paper bin 101 when the waste paper bin 101 is fully assembled. The back part 102 is provided with fixtures 113 for mounting of the waste paper bin 101 on a supporting surface such as a wall.

The side parts 104,105 consist of a left side part 104 and a right side part 105. Each side part 104,105 has elongate generally rectangular shape with slightly curved upper and lower edges 114, 115 and straight inner and outer side edges 116, 117. The length of the inner side edges 116 is matched to the length of the side edges 111,112 of the back part 102 and the length of the outer side edges 117 is matched to the length of the side edges 120,121 of the front part 103 implying that the upper and lower edges 114,115 extend at an angle of more than 90° from the inner side edges 120 towards the outer side edges 117 due to the length of the side edges 120, 121 of the front part 103 being greater that the length of the side edges 111, 112 of the back part 2. A continuous inwardly directed rim 140 is arranged at the upper and lower edges 114, 115 and the inner side edges 116 of the side parts 104,105.

The front part 103 has generally rectangular planar shape but is larger in the X-Y plane than the back part 102, so that the back part 102 can be completely accommodated inside the periphery of the front part 103. When resting on its front or outer surface 118, the front part 103 has the form of a shallow tray with low side walls 119 forming a raised rim along the side edges 120, 121 and the upper and lower edges 122, 123 of the front part 103. The upper edge 122 of the front part 103 is provided with a curved part forming a gripping space 160 for facilitating removal of the top part 106 from the waste paper bin 101 such as when a waste paper bag is to be placed in the assembled bin 101 or be removed therefrom.

The top part 106 has a back edge 124 of the same length as the upper edge 109 of the back part 102 and a front edge 125 of the same length as the upper edge 122 of the front part 103. Accordingly, the front edge 125 of the top part 106 is slightly longer than the back edge 124 of the top part 106, implying that the side edges 126, 127 of the top part 106 extend from the back edge 124 to the front edge 125 of the top part 106 at an angle of more than 90° to the back edge 124, such as at an angle of 95° to 125°.

The waste paper bin according to embodiments of the disclosure may have a reverse configuration, with the back part being larger than the front part so that the front part may be stowed in the back part when the waste paper bin is in the transport configuration. In such configurations, the top part edges will extend in the reverse manner with an angle of more than 90° from the front edge of the top part to the back edge of the front part implying that the assembled waste paper bin will have a shape with a wider back than front.

The top part 106 has a disposal opening 161 through which waste paper can be thrown into a waste paper bag that is hung on the bag support wire 108 when the waste paper bin is in its fully assembled state.

Waste Paper Bin, Assembly

In the transport configuration, the front part 103 of the waste paper bin 101 serves as a tray for the remaining components of the bin. Similar to the hand towel dispenser 1 in FIGS. 1-8, the back part 2 is hingedly pre-attached to the side parts 104, 105. In the transport configuration the side parts 104, 105 are folded down towards the back part 102, overlapping with each other. The top, bottom and wire parts 106, 107, 108 are placed between the side parts 104, 105.

The assembly or conversion of the waste paper bin 101 from the transport configuration to the service configuration takes place in several steps, analogous to that of the hand towel dispenser 1 as described in connection with FIGS. 1-8. First the back part 102 and the connected side parts 104, 105 are lifted out of the front part 103 together with the top part 106, bottom part 107 and the bag support wire 108. The top part 106, bottom part 107 and bag support wire 108 are put to the side and the side parts 104, 105 are folded up from the back part 102 to a raised position. The bottom part 102 is snapped in place. The front part 103 is subsequently snapped in place by means of a number of snap joints along the side parts 104, 105 and the bottom part 107. Finally, the bag support wire 108 is hooked over the upper edge 109 of the back part 102 by means of a pair of hooks 162. The top part 106 is then put in place along the upper edges 109, 114, 122 of the front part 103, the side parts 104, 105 and the back part 102. When changing a filled thrash bag, the top part 106 is removed to allow the bag to be lifted out of the waste paper bin 101 and to be replaced by an empty bag.

Soap Dispenser, Parts and Assembly

The soap dispenser may be used to hold a range of different liquid products including sanitizers such as soap, alcohol gel or cleaning fluids as well as hand crème, etc.

The soap dispenser 201 shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 comprises eight parts. A back part 202, a front part 203 two side parts 204, 205, a top part 206, a shelf part 207, a dispenser button 208 and a soap container spout support 209. The individual parts may be made of the same type of materials as those suitable for the hand towel dispenser 1 as disclosed herein.

The soap dispenser 201 has a transport configuration and a service configuration both shown in FIG. 12. In the transport configuration, the front part 203 serves as a container for the back part 202, the side parts 204, 205, the top part 206, and the shelf part 207 with the back part closest to the back part 202, the top and shelf parts, 206, 207 on top of the back part 202 and the side parts 4,5 uppermost. The dispenser button 208 and the soap container spout support 209 are stacked together and placed outside the front part 203 at one of its short sides. A separate lock for mounting in the front part 203 may additionally be placed alongside with the dispenser button 208 and soap container spout support 209, if desired. The lock is not shown in the figures. If desired, the front part 203 may also be provided with an inspection window as disclosed herein.

Due to the shape of the dispenser, with side parts 204, 205 that are larger than the back part 202, the folding principle used for the hand towel dispenser shown in FIGS. 1-8 is less suitable for the soap dispenser 201. Instead, all parts shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 are snapped together in assembly. First the side parts 204, 205 are attached to the back part 202, followed by the top and shelf parts 206,207. Thereafter the dispenser button 208 and the soap container spout support 209 are snapped in place and finally the front part 203 is mounted by means of pivot hinges (not shown) in both side parts 204, 205.

The fully assembled soap dispenser 201 can be opened as shown in FIG. 13 by tilting the front part 203 outward. If a lock is present in the soap dispenser 201, this is placed at the top part 206 of the dispenser 201.

Toilet Paper Dispenser, Parts and Assembly

The toilet paper dispenser disclosed herein is suitable in small to medium sized washrooms with frequent visits, such as in schools and other public environments. It is designed to hold a main roll and in addition has a stub roll feature that eliminates waste. An indicator shows when the main roll can be moved to the stub roll position and a new main roll may be inserted in the place of the former main roll.

The toilet paper dispenser 301 shown in FIGS. 14 and 15 comprises eight individual parts. In addition to the general chassis parts constituted by a back part 302, a front part 303 with an inspection window 310, side parts 304, 305 and a top part 306, the toilet paper dispenser 301 has a toothed dispensing frame 307 and two roll holders 308, 309. The side parts 304, 305 are attached to the back part 302 at the production site and are arranged in a folded down position when the toilet paper dispenser 301 is packed in the transport configuration. The parts are shaped and dimensioned such that the top part 306 and dispensing frame 307 fit in the centre of the front part 303 with one side part 304, 405 on each side of the stacked top part 306 and dispensing frame 307. The two roll holders 308, 309 are placed along one long side edge of the front part 303 as shown in FIG. 14. The toothed dispensing frame 307 is a separate part that helps to stabilize the dispenser body after final assembly and conversion of the toilet paper dispenser 301 into the service configuration.

As is shown in FIG. 15, the fully assembled toilet paper dispenser 301 can be opened by tilting the front part 303 outward. If a lock is present in the toilet paper dispenser 301, this is preferably placed at the top part 306 of the dispenser 301.

Hygienic Containers, Joins

When fully assembled, the hygienic containers of embodiments of the disclosure have a smooth outer surface with rounded edges and corners and minimal split-lines provided by overlapping portions or flanges on the different parts of the hygienic containers. Such overlapping flanges render the joins dust-proof and resistant to liquid penetration. In addition, in the service configuration, the joins between the different container parts are as a general rule placed offset from the edges of the assembled containers which makes the split-lines between the parts less exposed to inadvertent contact with dirty hands or objects and minimizes accumulation of dirt at the split-lines. In addition, the overlapping parts at the joins in the hygienic containers make the assembled containers stronger and more resistant to damage and wear. A smooth outer surface and liquid tight joins between the parts facilitate efficient cleaning of the hygienic containers when mounted on a supporting surface such as a bathroom wall. In addition, shock resistance and shape stability can be considerably improved by arranging split-lines between the parts of the hygienic containers of embodiments of the disclosure in a rear surface that will be mounted against a wall or other supporting surface.

All the hygienic containers except the waste paper bin have been described with a level indicator in the form of an inspection window. Although level indicators are practical features from a functional view, they are optional to the hygienic containers of embodiments of the disclosure.

Hygienic containers such as different types of dispensers for use in public environments and housing a content of commercial value may be provided with a lockable closure, such as that described in connection with the hand towel dispenser disclosed herein.

The embodiments of the disclosure are not restricted to the types of hygienic containers described in connection with the figures. Accordingly, hygienic dispensers and receptacles such as dispensers and receptacles for hygienic apparel, bed covers, etc. are contemplated within the scope of the embodiments of the disclosure. 

1. Hygienic container comprising multiple individual parts, wherein said hygienic container has a transport configuration and a service configuration, wherein at least two of said multiple individual parts, are arranged in a stacked configuration in said transport configuration, a packing volume of said hygienic container in said transport configuration being less than or equal to 45% of a packing volume of said hygienic container in said service configuration, and wherein at least one of said individual parts is arranged with a main extension in a first plane when said hygienic container is in said transport configuration and with said main extension in a second plane when said hygienic container is in said service configuration, said first and second planes being non-parallel planes.
 2. Hygienic container according to claim 1, wherein the container in the transport configuration comprises parts connected by hinge means.
 3. Hygienic container according to claim 1, wherein the container comprises a front part and a back part, the front part and the back part having different widths and/or different lengths.
 4. Hygienic container according to claim 3, wherein side parts are connected to the back part in the service configuration of the container and wherein the back part is adapted for mounting on a planar surface with the back part flush with the planar surface, and wherein the connections between the back part and the side parts are arranged in the same plane as the back part.
 5. Hygienic container according to claim 3, wherein one of the front part and the back part constitutes a cover part having a main surface and a periphery with a rim at the periphery of the main surface, the main surface and the rim delimiting a protective space and wherein at least one further part of the container is fully accommodated inside the periphery of the main surface of the cover part when the container is in said transport configuration.
 6. Hygienic container according to claim 5, wherein all further parts of the container are fully accommodated inside the periphery of the main surface of the cover part when the container is in the transport configuration.
 7. Hygienic container according to claim 5, wherein the main surface has a generally rectangular shape with rounded corners and the rim is arranged at an angle to the main surface of more than 90°.
 8. Hygienic container according to claim 1, wherein at least one part of the container is made of plastic material.
 9. Hygienic container according to claim 8, wherein the at least one part is a back part adapted for mounting on a surface.
 10. Hygienic container according to claim 1, wherein the container in the transport configuration consists of at most four unconnected parts.
 11. Hygienic container according to claim 1, wherein the container has rounded corners and edges when in the service configuration.
 12. Hygienic container according to claim 1, wherein the container is a wipe dispenser.
 13. Wipe dispenser according to claim 12, wherein the wipe dispenser comprises a back part having an upper edge, a lower edge and side edges; a front part having an upper edge, a lower edge and side edges; a first side part having an upper edge, a lower edge an inner side edge and outer side edge; a second side part having an upper edge, a lower edge (15) an inner side edge (16) and outer side edge; a top part having a back edge, a front edge and side edges; and a shelf part with a dispensing opening and having a back edge, a front edge and side edges.
 14. Wipe dispenser according to claim 13, wherein said front part constitutes an open container for said back part, side parts, top part and shelf part, when said wipe dispenser is in said transport configuration and wherein said side parts are hingedly attached to said back part and said back part, side parts, top part and shelf part are stacked together into a compact self-supporting package with said back part as a supporting base plate for said top and shelf parts and said hingedly attached side parts folded in as a cover over said top and shelf parts.
 15. Wipe dispenser according to claim 14, wherein said top and shelf parts are arranged side-by-side beneath said folded-in side parts with said top part tucked beneath one of said side parts and said shelf part tucked beneath the other of said side parts and wherein one of said side parts comprises a locking device with an engagement element and said shelf part is tucked beneath said side part bearing said locking device with said engagement element of said locking device resting in said dispensing opening on said shelf part.
 16. Wipe dispenser according to claim 13, wherein reinforcing ribs are arranged extending along inner side edges of said side parts said reinforcing ribs constituting guide means for a stack of wipes placed inside said wipe dispenser when said wipe dispenser is in said service configuration.
 17. Wipe dispenser according to claim 13, wherein splitlines between said back part and said side walls are arranged in the same plane as said back part.
 18. Wipe dispenser according to claim 13, wherein splitlines between said side parts and said top part are arranged in the same plane as said top part.
 19. Wipe dispenser according to claim 18, wherein said side parts and said top part have overlapping flanges at said splitlines.
 20. Hygienic container according to claim 1, wherein the container is a soap dispenser.
 21. Hygienic container according to claim 1, wherein the container is a paper roll dispenser.
 22. Hygienic container according to claim 1, wherein the container is a waste paper bin.
 23. Method for transferring a wipe dispenser according to claim 13 from said transport configuration into said service configuration comprising the steps of arranging said wipe dispenser when in said transport configuration with said front part facing away from an assembler and said side parts facing towards said assembler and with said upper edge of said front part directed away from said assembler and said lower edge of said front part directed towards said assembler; lifting said self-supporting package out of said front part while maintaining the orientation of the self-supporting package with respect to said assembler; arranging said side parts in a raised position along said side edges of said back part; arranging said top part in a fixed position along said upper edges of said side parts and said back part and arranging said shelf part in a fixed position between said raised side parts in a lower end thereof; and connecting said front part to a side part, a top part or a shelf part by means of at least one hinge.
 24. Method according to claim 23, wherein said side parts are hingedly connected to said back part and said hingedly connected side parts are folded up from said back part into a folded-up position.
 25. Method according to claim 24, wherein said top part is attached along said upper edges of said side parts and said back part and said shelf part is attached to said side parts and said back part in a lower end thereof.
 26. Method according to claim 25, wherein said folded up side parts after having been brought to said folded-up position, are prevented from moving further apart by movement restricting means.
 27. Method according to claim 25, wherein said attachment of said top part to said back part and said side parts is made by means of a combination of coupling means in the form of slide fittings and snap locks.
 28. Method according to claim 27, wherein said slide fittings are formed by reinforcing ribs on said top part and corresponding notches in said upper edge of said back part.
 29. Method according to claim 27, wherein said snap locks are formed by female parts on said top part and male parts on said side parts.
 30. Method according to claim 23, wherein said top part has an inner flange along a back edge of said top part and wherein said inner flange is first placed over said upper edge of said back part with said reinforcing ribs on said top part fitted into said notches in said upper edge of said back part while holding said top part at a downward angle between said side parts and subsequently pushing said top part upwards until downwardly projecting male parts of said snap locks are brought into locking engagement with female parts of said snap locks.
 31. Method according to claim 23, wherein said shelf part is first connected to said back part by inserting two fastening tongues protruding from said back edge of said shelf part into two corresponding slots in said back part above said lower edge of said back part while holding said shelf part tilted upwards and is subsequently connected to said side parts by pushing down said shelf part and bringing female and male parts of snap locks that are arranged between said side parts and said shelf part into locking engagement.
 32. Method according to claim 23, wherein the final assembly step of attaching said front part to said side part is carried out after mounting of said wipe dispenser on a supporting surface. 